Bilateral relations
Australia and the United Kingdom have a deep and enduring partnership, grounded in our shared history, values and interests.
We enjoy a high level of cooperation across a wide range of foreign policy, defence, security, intelligence, trade, and economic issues.
We share common values, strong people-to-people links, closely aligned strategic interests, and substantial trade and investment links. The Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement and the United Kingdom’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership are opening doors for Australian businesses and strengthening the United Kingdom’s economic engagement across the Indo-Pacific. AUKUS is deepening our defence ties to support a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
Foreign policy
Australia and the United Kingdom are global partners, with closely aligned interests across the Euro-Atlantic, Indo-Pacific and wider international and multilateral system. In these uncertain times, we are strengthening and modernising our relationship to advance our shared interests and elevate cooperation across today’s priorities, like climate and clean energy, economic security, cyber and critical technology, and countering disinformation.
The Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations between Australian and UK Foreign and Defence Ministers (AUKMIN), is the premier bilateral forum on foreign policy, defence, and security issues. AUKMIN is an annual opportunity to bring renewed ambition to our diplomatic and defence cooperation to address emerging challenges and to shape our shared future together, including in the Indo-Pacific. Australia hosted the 15th AUKMIN in Sydney in July 2025.
Our AUKUS partnership with the United Kingdom and the United States reflects our deep mutual trust and shared strategic interests and remains a top priority. It will bring generational change to our security and strategic engagement, enabling deeper cooperation to maintain our edge in the region and contribute to regional and global security.
Economic overview
The Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement (A-UKFTA), which entered into force on 31 May 2023, is already delivering benefits to Australian and UK businesses. Since entry into force, both UK and Australian exports have increased, underscoring the two-way benefit of the A-UKFTA.
A-UKFTA has also delivered enhanced pathways for young Australians and Britons to live and work in each country, including new arrangements under Australia’s Working Holiday Maker program and the UK’s Youth Mobility Scheme.
Australia welcomed the United Kingdom’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in December 2024. CPTPP membership will enhance the United Kingdom’s economic engagement in the Indo-Pacific and support our shared interest in promoting regional prosperity.
Australia and the United Kingdom cooperate extensively in a range of international economic forums, including the World Trade Organization, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the G20.
Australia and the United Kingdom are also cooperating to strengthen supply chains and economic resilience more broadly, including under the Australia-UK Joint Supply Chain Resilience Initiative and bilateral Economic Security Dialogue.
Trade and investment
The United Kingdom is Australia’s second-largest source of total stock of foreign investment, worth $698 billion in 2024, and our second-largest destination for total stock of investment abroad – valued at $839 billion.
The United Kingdom is our 8th largest two-way trading partner – with $35.9 billion in goods and services trade in 2024 – as well as our 9th largest export destination and our 10th largest source of imports.
Australia’s principal goods and services exports to the United Kingdom are metals/commodities, professional and technical business services and recreational travel. Our principal imports from the United Kingdom are recreational travel, professional and technical business services and passenger motor vehicles.
Austrade’s office in the United Kingdom works to support foreign direct investment into Australia and promote Australian exports. Austrade can provide access to a range of specialists to assist with enquiries.
Public diplomacy
The Australian High Commission in London manages an active Public Diplomacy program designed to raise awareness of contemporary Australia in the United Kingdom and to promote the benefits of our bilateral collaboration. This includes promoting our priorities, shared interests, and activities in areas such as climate and energy transition, the economy, foreign affairs, First Nations Diplomacy, people-to-people links, education and skills, and cultural and artistic collaboration.